Lifters Car Club King of Clubs

There are some shows that for whatever reason become a "must-do" on many people's calendars. The Lifters Car Club's King of Clubs event is just that. This July saw the fifth such event, and my third consecutive year. Held on a Saturday at the eighth-mile dragstrip on the Barona Reservation, just east of San Diego, it offers the chance to put your rod or custom up the strip-and inter-club rivalry is encouraged with trophies in three classes: street, flathead, and race, as well as five bands and a burlesque show on an outside stage. There are more vendors every year, with beautiful surroundings and some killer cars.

While not a car show as such, by which I mean the cars are scattered throughout the venue, mainly grouped closely together in what is usually the pits area rather than parked neatly in rows, it's definitely a nostalgia-type event, and attracts cars and clubs of that ilk from as far away as the Los Angeles metropolitan area, though San Diego is a hotbed of traditional rodding anyway.

While the huge, plush Barona Casino is a mere 6 miles away at the other end of the reservation, and ideal for those who want a comfy bed at night, many, including us, elect to pack a tent and stay on site, rising lazily on Sunday, wending our way down the mountain to Escondido, and hitting a cool old roadside diner for a much-needed hearty breakfast. And that's part of the fun of the King of Clubs run; the road trip there and back is through great country scenery and winding mountain roads. The "Run What Ya Brung" is friendly, and the whole event is laid back, yet never leaves one lacking for something to do or see. Now can we have it for two days next year please guys?